Kosovo Legal Center Quickens Reports and Data

“The new database is easier to operate. I can generate accurate reports in much less time, which means that I can do more tasks in one working day.”

Since its establishment in 2000, the Kosovo Judicial Institute (KJI) has become a crucial center for continuing legal education, offering regular training for judges, prosecutors and other legal professionals. The role of this institution has become particularly significant in 2013 during the re-structuring of the country’s courts and prosecution offices.

Although the organization’s duties have gradually expanded, the KJI staff continued to use outdated data collection and management computer programs, keeping them buried in paperwork and unable to meet reporting requirements.

In September 2013, with help from USAID, KJI developed a new multi-purpose database, which streamlined previously bulky data entry procedures, freeing the staff to focus on putting the data to use. In addition, increased data security measures were created to ensure the system’s integrity. The system—available in Albanian, Serbian and English—also leaves room for expansion to avoid future data crunches.

“Since we used to enter and collect data manually, it would take me up to three days to produce one report,” said Blerta Hajra, statistics and verification officer at KJI. “The new database is easier to operate. Most importantly though, I can generate accurate reports in much less time, which means that I can do more tasks in one working day.”

As a result, KJI is now able to generate accurate reports in almost no time on many of the institute’s functions—from the number of judges and prosecutors trained and types of training programs they attended, to statistics on internal operations that can be used to streamline administrative procedures. The reports play a key role in updating international organizations on the effectiveness of Kosovo’s judicial system—an essential part of helping Kosovo further its goal of European integration.

Through USAID's Effective Rule of Law initiative, which runs from March 2011 through March 2015, the Agency is working to strengthen the independence, accountability, efficiency and effectiveness of Kosovo's justice system, while bolstering public confidence in the system through education and transparency.